As of May 1st I started the vegan life. Why, I'm sure you ask? It's mainly for my health. There are a couple diets that people who have epilepsy try: Ketogenic and Atkins. However, the vegan diet has proved to be extremely beneficial in many ways, not just for the epileptics in this world. The removal of animal products from your diet eliminates harmful hormones and other substances added to create "better products". For example, hormones are injected into a beef cows bloodstream to increase their size for the benefit of people. Think about it. What are those hormones made of? When we eat beef, we are also consuming whatever the cow has been injected with. Now, I'm not saying eating beef is a bad thing. I'm just stating the facts that I have learned. Another reason for my change to a vegan diet is for moral reasons. I don't like the way animals are treated in order for us to eat them.
It's only been a month since I started this drastic change in my life, but I will tell you that it has been more difficult than I would have imagined. The first week was the worst. It seemed like everything I had once ate was now "banned". I went to a barbecue with some friends and the only thing I could eat was grapes and one kind of chips. There were hot dogs and hamburgers that I would have LOVED to eat, but sadly, I chose not to. That's the key word: chose. I am not required to do this. I choose to for my benefit. The part of the barbecue that bothered me the most was when they handed out Creamies. You know, the delicious popsicles? Everybody was eating them and the people handing them out were asking if anyone hadn't received one. It took almost everything in me to keep quiet.
One of the things that has been hard for me with this change is how I feel my life got boring when I started. I am eating a lot healthier, but my change in diet has made it so I no longer eat the things I love. I used to be a hamburger lover. I loved bacon and Cheetos. Reeses Cups were my favorite thing ever. Those are either meat or animal products. I'm surprised by how much animal products are in everyday things. I am hoping to find variety in my new lifestyle so I can be happy with food again.
